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How to Be Vegas' Most Coveted Invite

Without the help of a paid staff, entertaining at home can be as much pain as it is pleasure. But with the right blend of planning and skill, you can host a seated three-course dinner or a swank cocktail hour without breaking much of a sweat. We consulted everyone from Strip chefs to continent-hopping DJs and the designers behind the city’s grandest casinos for insight into how they entertain at home. Get those invitations ready—this is how you do it right.

The Designers on Décor

Therese VirseriusOwner, Therese Virserius Design (Bar Vdara)

SERVE ON WHITE PLATES. “I’m very much into how you perceive things. How you display your food is just like how you display your space.”

BE WELCOMING. “I’ll set a piece of furniture that I have in my entryway with a beverage presentation right away. So I’ll do Champagne and caviar in the foyer. The minute people come in something is put in their hand. It gets the party started.”

BLOW IT UP! “My little boy likes me to buy balloons. It brings across that it’s not formal, and if you do them right color-wise, it’s not childish. We just weigh them down with sand.”

The Chefs on Menu

Paul Bartolotta Chef, Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, Wynn Las Vegas

EAT THE CENTERPIECES. Bartolotta likes to serve pinzimonio at his parties, which he describes as basically crudités on ice. Fill a bowl with ice and arrange celery stalks, red and yellow bell peppers, radishes, Belgian endive, green onions and wedges of tomatoes on top, then serve with a ramekin of olive oil with salt and pepper.

Sam Demarco Chef, First Food & Bar, The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino

SET THE THEME. Coming up with a common thread enables you to have a greater impact on your guests. DeMarco suggests picking a culture to focus on. “Ethnic flavors are what make the world go round.”

BRING IN THE PROS: Hire a chef to do a raw bar or a cheese expert to serve slices along with flavor notes. “People feel like they’re getting educated and having fun,” DeMarco says.

Carlos Guia Chef, The Country Club, Wynn Las Vegas

START SIMPLE. “You don’t want to overextend yourself and be a wreck or not be happy with the turnout. Start off slow with simple stuff, and then as you get better at entertaining, you can definitely grow your menu.”

HOW TO MAKE... You can re-create the eggs Versailles that Guia serves at his Jazz Brunch by buying the smoked salmon (they make it in-house at The Country Club), poaching an egg and adding a little hollandaise and caviar. Serve them on brioche.

Luciano Pellegrini Chef, Valentino, The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino

THINK LIKE A CHEF. “The rule of thumb is you usually start light and floral and flavorful, and then you increase your flavor palette and textures as you go. Use your seafood to start a menu and progressively build until you get to the meat or the most robust dishes.”

Michael JordanOwner/chef, Rosemary’s Restaurant

EVERYONE PITCHES IN. “When I have the grill out it’s easier to get a lot of people helping me. Some people are better at stirring the pot, and other people are better at chopping the veg.”

The Hosts on Themes

TELLERPenn & Teller, Rio All-Suite
Hotel & Casino

THINK OUTSIDE THE TIME
ZONE. “My thing is breakfast and brunch. I’ll set a big pot of batter out near the doubleheaded waffle iron and they can make their own waffl es.”

MAKE IT MULTI-ACTIVITY. “I got all my guests out to play paintball in the middle of the desert. Then, come four o’clock, they hear classical music and they go to a little tent where I had the Four Seasons cater an afternoon tea. Everybody is just covered with paint and dust and crap and they’re all coming in like wounded soldiers, and here’s the little tablecloth and the little gold chairs with the pink seats and the waiter inhis tuxedo and the little tea sandwiches. It was great.”

HOLLY MADISONActress, Peepshow, Planet
Hollywood Resort & Casino

CURATE YOUR GUEST LIST. “I always make sure there are some new people at the party that my friends don’t know or friends from out of town.”

CONSIDER COSTUMES. “I love any excuse to dress up. My favorite place [for costumes] is Trashy Lingerie in Los Angeles, because they custom-make all kinds of stuff.”

CAPTURE THE MOMENT(S). “Photobooths are fun. Everyone wants to get their picture taken—especially when they’re drunk.”

MICHAEL CORNTHWAITEOwner, Downtown Cocktail Room

MIX TO ORDER. “It’s great how a cocktail tastes, but if you can’t see it made and there’s no artistry involved, then it’s not the same experience.The Savoy Cocktail Book is a classic cocktail manual that everyone references from time to time.”

LIBBY LUMPKINCulture maven, consummate hostess

MASTER THE MARGARITA. “My secret is I make them with lemon juice instead of lime juice, so they’re a little bit sweeter. And I use really great Grand Marnier instead of triple sec.”

YOU COOK, THEY SERVE. “When Oscar was in Casino, he invited Martin Scorsese, Joe Pesci,Robert De Niro, Nicholas Pileggi and Sharon Stone to the house. Sharon waited tables as did [our neighbor at that time] Elaine Wynn.”

LET THERE BE CAKE. “Freed’s Bakery on the east side of town is wonderful.”

The DJs on Soundtrack

Vanity

IN TUNEThe DJs recommend: Animal by Ke$ha or Soldier of Love by Sade as well as tracks by Weezer or GuyMaster the mix at hypem.com or pandora.com